Presstitute (press + prostitute)

“Presstitute” (press + prostitute) describes a member of the press who lets other considerations get in the way of reporting the truth. Sometimes “soft” reporting occurs because of a powerful advertiser, and sometimes the reporter is overly friendly with the subject of the reporting. Newspaper columnist Walter Winchell (1897-1972) used the term “presstitute” as early as 1941.
 
In the 2000s, during the U.S. presidency of Barack Obama, some critics accused the press of asking “softball” questions of the president. The word “presstitute” was probably re-invented and not remembered from Winchell’s usage many years earlier. Gerald Celente, an American trend forecaster, popularized “presstitute” in 2011 interviews, but did not coin it.
 
The term “presstitute” has been popular in India. “New word for #Pimpmedia #CorruptMedia ‘Presstitutes’” was posted on Twitter by Arav_India on September 7, 2011. Vijay Kumar Singh, an Indian politician and a retired four star general in the Indian Army, used the term “presstitute” in February 2014.
 
“Presstitute” has frequently been used with the term “whorespondent” (whore + correspondent).
     
   
Wikipedia: Walter Winchell
Walter Winchell (April 7, 1897 – February 20, 1972) was an American newspaper and radio commentator. He invented the gossip column while at the New York Evening Graphic.
     
3 November 1941, Waterloo (IA) Daily Courier, “Walter Winchell on Broadway,” pg. 20, col. 1:
Suggested nickname for newspapermen who can be bought: Presstitutes.
   
19 April 1942, Dayton (OH) Sunday Journal-Herald, Walter Winchell column, Features sec., pg. 11, col. 2:
This would be a better world if certain newspapermen worried about freedom of the people as much as the people worry about freedom of the press…Those types of publishers, editors and columnists are presstitutes.
 
2 March 1943, Kingsport (TN) News, “Walter Winchell on Broadway,” pg. 5, col. 2:
Whenever Heywood Broun spoke against the paper’s policy, Pegler could be counted on to toss knives into his back. Mrs. Roosevelt’s another who thinks contrary to the paper’s ideas, gets his hired dander up, too. He’s a Presstitute.
       
27 September 1951, Springfield (MA) Union, “Walter Winchell on Broadway,” pg. 15, col. 1:
THE PRESSTITUTES—The Free Press is one of democracy’s most powerful institutions, which is not submitted as a scoop, of course.
 
Google Books
The Center:
The Anatomy of Power in Washington
By Stewart Alsop
London, UK: Hodder and Stoughton
1968
Pg. 208:
The Communists of the Old Left, of course, have traditionally regarded reporters as “presstitutes” or “whorespondents,” truckling in terror to the demands of their capitalist employers.
 
31 October 1995, Spokane (WA) Spokesman-Review, “Let’s talk about it, Bob”:
We “presstitutes’’ have a way of sneaking in nouns and adjectives such as ” extremist,’’ “right-wing’’ and “radical’’ to slime people with whom we disagree.
 
New York (NY) Times
He Turned Gossip Into Tawdry Power; Walter Winchell, Who Climbed High and Fell Far, Still Scintillates
By BERNARD WEINRAUB
Published: November 18, 1998
(...)
A New York Post series about him in 1952 led him to attack the paper ferociously as the ‘‘Compost,’’ the ‘‘Postinko’’ and the ‘‘Postitute.’’ He called the newspaper’s columnists ‘‘presstitutes,’’ and his constant attacks on the newspaper’s editor, James Wechsler, were even worse.
     
Urban Dictionary
presstitute
A member of the media who will alter their story and reporting based on financial interests or other ties with usually partisan individuals or groups.
Robert Novak’s latest column supporting this administration’s criminal policies show that he is nothing more than a presstitute.
by Nicholas Sasson Feb 9, 2006
   
Presstitute
One who “screws” the general public by intentionally sumbitting false or mis-leading information to the Press. Esp. for politicians and news folks.
Our congressperson really presstituted themselves with that interview.
or
That politician is a known presstitute.
by Tripod SRQ Oct 13, 2008
 
No Sheeples Here
The Pressitutes: Obama’s Lewinsky
Thursday, July 02, 2009
President Barack Obama wanted to put a human face on his plans to overhaul health care, and a Virginia supporter did just that at a town hall meeting [campaign stop] on Wednesday. Fighting back wantonly staged tears, Debby Smith, 53, told Obama of her kidney cancer and her inability to obtain health insurance or hold a job.
 
Smith, or “Exhibit A” as Fearless Reader called her, is from Appalachia, VA, and a volunteer for Organizing for America, Fearless Reader’s political operation within the Democratic National Committee. She obtained her ticket through the White House.
     
Twitter
Angelo
@angliz501
Check this video out—Max Keiser : Gerald Celente “Presstitutes Being Replaced by Journalism 2.0” http://youtube.com/watch?v=EmGe1QlMRK0 via
@youtube
12:24 AM · Feb 27, 2011·Twitter for Websites
   
Twitter
crisis curves
@crisiscurves
“the presstitutes in the press corp” - Gerald Celente
8:13 AM · Mar 15, 2011·Twitter for Mac
     
Twitter
silver39s
@silver39s
“How about calling the ‘press’ the ‘presstitutes’ because that’s what they are” - Gerald Celente
12:05 AM · Mar 23, 2011·Twitter Web Client
 
Twitter
Arav_India
@Arav_India
New word for #Pimpmedia #CorruptMedia “Presstitutes”
2:58 PM · Sep 7, 2011·TweetCaster for Android
 
Twitter
CONgress_India
@CONgress_India
English Media Presstitutes propped us up in ‘12 elections & we still lost. Time 2 blame them 2 save Prince Rahul Gandhi’s image & leadership
9:47 PM · Mar 6, 2012·Twitter Web Client
 
Twitter
Oldtimer
@auldtimer
Gen Singh’s Bribery “Claim”. Note the wording. This from presstitutes who ran Guj prongate story like they personally witnessed it
9:45 AM · Mar 27, 2012·Mobile Web
     
Twitter
Man Aman Singh Chhina
@manaman_chhina
Ex-Gen VK Singh calls IE reporters “Presstitutes”.
I wonder what he will call former air chief NAK Browne who too has exposed his lies.
10:57 PM · Feb 21, 2014·Twitter for iPhone
 
24 February 2014, Asian News International (New Delhi, India), “Editor Guild of India deplores attack on media by Kejriwal and Gen V.K.Singh”:
New Delhi, Feb.24 (ANI): Expressing concern over the growing attacks on the media by political leaders and public figures, President of Editors Guild of India N. Ravi said political leaders should be open criticism to their functioning and flaws being exposed, and appealed that public figures should not to resort to vague and unsubstantiated charges of corrupt motives and abuses towards the media when refuting.
 
“The Editors Guild of India notes with concern the growing attacks and unsubstantiated charges levelled against the media by political leaders and public figures dissatisfied with the coverage of their activities or with criticism from the media,” Ravi was stated in a statement issued.
 
“It is distressing to find a person like Gen. V. K Singh using the term ‘presstitutes’ to describe journalists who wrote a story on the movement of army units causing concern to the government, a statement unbecoming of a former chief of the Indian army,” he was stated in the statement.